Belize Barrier Reef MPA
DemonstrationMCC-2024-0036 • Belize • Stann Creek
REGISTERED
Methodology
MCC-002
Country
Belize
Stann Creek
Estimated Area
22,400 ha
Est. Credits/Year
8,600
Start Date
8/1/2024
Crediting Period
30 years
Project Description
Strengthening enforcement and biodiversity outcomes across two replenishment zones of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (UNESCO World Heritage). Conservation units quantify herbivore biomass, structural complexity and recruit density.
Project lifecycle
Project workflowREGISTERED
Milestones (3/5 completed)
- Baseline ecological surveyCOMPLETED
Establish pre-project ecological baseline using transect surveys, water quality sampling, and remote-sensing imagery analysis.
Due: 30 May 2026Completed: 1 Jun 2026 - Stakeholder consultation completedCOMPLETED
Open consultation with coastal communities, fisher cooperatives, and local authorities — minutes archived in project record.
Due: 29 Jul 2026Completed: 4 Aug 2026 - Field implementation kickoffCOMPLETED
On-site teams mobilised; planting, deployment, or protection-measures begin per methodology specification.
Due: 27 Sept 2026Completed: 12 Oct 2026 - First annual monitoring reportPENDING
Year-one monitoring report compiled and submitted; covers biomass, GPS tracks, photo points, and community indicators.
Due: 25 Apr 2027 - Independent validation site visitPENDING
VVB lead auditor visits project site, samples evidence, reviews documentation, drafts validation opinion.
Due: 24 Jul 2027
Validation & verification
Validation
ISO 14064-2:2019COMPLETED
Site visit: 27 Sept 2026 · Opinion issued: 27 Oct 2026
Positive validation opinion issued. The project as described in the PDD meets the eligibility, additionality, and methodology-application requirements of MCC.
Verification
8,226.3 net creditsMONITORING_REVIEW
Quantified
9,678
Buffer
15%
Period: 16 Nov 2026 – 16 Nov 2027
AI assessment
PDD_COMPLETENESS_REVIEW · 30 May 2026Completeness
92%
Confidence
MEDIUM
90%
Recommendation
PROCEED_TO_VERIFICATION
Section analysis
- Project description92
- Baseline & additionality81
- Quantification86
- Monitoring plan79
- Safeguards & FPIC88
Risk flags
- LOWMETHODOLOGY_DEVIATION_LOW
- LOWEVIDENCE_GAP_MINOR
Technical review
COMPLETEDRECOMMEND APPROVE
Project meets all technical requirements. Methodology applied correctly; observations closed.
Findings (3)
- OBSERVATIONCLOSEDPDD §3.2 / Methodology baseline approachMinor clarification recommended on baseline-period selection rationale.Response: Project developer response submitted; revised section uploaded as v1.1 of PDD. Reviewer accepted.
- NON_CONFORMITY_MINORCLOSEDPDD §5.4 / Monitoring requirementsMonitoring plan should specify QA/QC sampling frequency for sediment carbon density.Response: Project developer response submitted; revised section uploaded as v1.1 of PDD. Reviewer accepted.
- OBSERVATIONCLOSEDPDD §7.1 / SD contributionCo-benefits narrative would benefit from quantified gender-disaggregated employment data.Response: Project developer response submitted; revised section uploaded as v1.1 of PDD. Reviewer accepted.
Sustainable development contributions
7.5
Overall score
Assessed: 29 Jul 2026Climate (SDG 13) contribution from carbon sequestration and avoided emissions in the project boundary.
Indicators (2)
- 9Annual CO2-eq sequestration13.20 tCO2e → 8420 tCO2e
- 7Climate resilience index (community survey)13.12.4 / 5 → 3.6 / 5
8.2
Overall score
SD-Vista EligibleAssessed: 29 Jul 2026Life Below Water (SDG 14) contribution from habitat protection, biodiversity recovery, and sustainable use of marine resources.
Indicators (3)
- 8Coral / seagrass / mangrove cover (%)14.238% → 52%
- 9Area effectively protected (ha)14.50 → 1250
- 8Fish biomass index (kg / 100 m²)14.412.1 → 18.7
6.8
Overall score
Assessed: 29 Jul 2026Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) contribution from local employment, training, and supply-chain participation.
Indicators (3)
- 7Local jobs created (FTE)8.50 → 34
- 8Women in project workforce (%)5.50% → 41%
- 7Households with improved livelihood income1.40 → 210
Safeguards & ESIA
Screened: 29 Jun 2026Risk category
CATEGORY_BFPIC status
OBTAINEDClearance
CLEAREDESIA required
YESESIA scoping completed; no Category-A risks identified. ESMP includes adaptive management triggers and grievance mechanism. FPIC documented with neighbouring communities.
Evidence library (8)
PHOTOGRAPHIC · 2FIELD_OBSERVATION · 2LAB_ANALYSIS · 1COMMUNITY_TESTIMONY · 1SATELLITE_IMAGERY · 1GPS_TRACK · 1
| Type | Description | Collected | GPS | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHOTOGRAPHIC | Drone orthomosaic of project area at 5 cm GSD; overlap 80%/70%; captured in optimal tide window. | 28 Aug 2026 | — | ✓ 16 Nov 2026 |
| FIELD_OBSERVATION | Megafauna sightings log: turtles, sharks, cetaceans recorded with timestamp, GPS, and observer. | 13 Aug 2026 | — | — |
| LAB_ANALYSIS | Sediment carbon density samples analysed via LECO CN628; bulk density and organic carbon fractions. | 29 Jul 2026 | — | ✓ 27 Sept 2026 |
| COMMUNITY_TESTIMONY | Signed minutes from FPIC consultation with neighbouring fisher cooperative; questions and concessions recorded. | 14 Jul 2026 | — | — |
| SATELLITE_IMAGERY | Sentinel-2 L2A imagery, 10 m resolution, NDVI and water-index composites for monitoring period. | 29 Jun 2026 | — | ✓ 8 Aug 2026 |
| GPS_TRACK | Surveyor GPS track of restored / protected polygon perimeter; CSV exported from Garmin GPSMAP. | 14 Jun 2026 | — | — |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC | Geo-tagged photo points at 12 fixed monitoring stations; canopy cover and seedling survival visible. | 30 May 2026 | — | ✓ 19 Jun 2026 |
| FIELD_OBSERVATION | Quadrat sampling along three 100 m transects; species count and percent-cover recorded by trained ecologists. | 15 May 2026 | — | — |
Stakeholder consultation
CLOSEDOpened
29 Jun 2026
Closes
29 Jul 2026
Total comments
6
Reversal events (1 detected)
PARTIAL✓ Resolved 16 Apr 2026
17 Mar 2026 · VVB_AUDITAffected area
65 ha
Reversed (tCO₂e)
380
Coral bleaching event during marine heatwave (2026 Q1). Affected 8% of monitored reef area. Recovery monitoring shows partial recolonization; reversal classified as natural-disturbance, not project-failure. Buffer adjustment minimal per methodology Section 12.4.
Live biodiversity (GBIF)
cached 24h · live polygon queryTotal records
41,454
Species observed
136
Sample size
300
Top 12 species in polygon
| Species | Vernacular | Records | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acropora palmata | — | 17 | sample |
| Coenobita clypeatus | — | 9 | sample |
| Pelecanus occidentalis | — | 9 | sample |
| Fregata magnificens | — | 8 | sample |
| Butorides virescens | — | 8 | sample |
| Ginglymostoma cirratum | — | 8 | sample |
| Styracura schmardae | — | 8 | sample |
| Hypanus americanus | — | 8 | sample |
| Aetobatus narinari | — | 7 | sample |
| Aliger gigas | — | 7 | sample |
| Quiscalus mexicanus | — | 5 | sample |
| Arenaria interpres | — | 5 | sample |
Source: Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) occurrence search — live polygon query, max 300 records sampled.
Continuous habitat monitoring
Sentinel-2 · CDSE · 1 snapshotsLatest period
1 Apr – 1 May 2026
NDVI mean
-0.071
Habitat coverage
1.1%
Cloud cover
100%
Latest least-cloudy Sentinel-2 mosaic of the project area, retrieved live from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem. Continuous monitoring runs monthly.
Biodiversity context
GBIF · OBIS (UNESCO-IOC) · public datasetsGBIF (all biodiversity)
Records
41,508
Species
136
Last 5y
300
Top species in sample
- Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816)17
- Coenobita clypeatus (Fabricius, 1787)9
- Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, 17669
- Fregata magnificens Mathews, 19148
- Butorides virescens (Linnaeus, 1758)8
OBIS (marine-only)
Records
8,398
Species
210
Last 5y
0
Top marine species in sample
- Mollusca18
- Acanthurus bahianus7
- Coryphopterus hyalinus6
- Scarus iseri4
- Porites astreoides4
Sample of up to 300 occurrences each. GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) covers all taxa; OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System, UNESCO-IOC) is the marine subset indexed against WoRMS. Both refresh daily via 24h cache.
Coral habitat composition
Allen Coral Atlas · ASU / Planet / U. Queensland / VulcanReef area
96,400 ha
Bleaching alert
WarningBenthic composition
- Coral31%
- Algae18%
- Rubble9%
- Sand30%
- Seagrass5%
- Rock7%
Geomorphic zones
- Reef slope34%
- Lagoon27%
- Sheltered slope18%
- Reef crest12%
- Outer flat9%
Composition derived from the ACA global vector release at project onboarding time. Roadmap: server-side polygon intersection against the ACA REST API for monthly bleaching-alert updates.
Ocean color (chlorophyll, turbidity)
Sentinel-3 OLCI · CDSE · 2026-04Chlorophyll-a
4.39 mg/m³
NDCI
0.051
TSM proxy
0.067
Water quality
poor · stable
Sentinel-3 OLCI 300 m daily revisit. Chlorophyll-a via OC4Me proxy; NDCI (Mishra & Mishra red-edge) is robust in turbid coastal water. Roadmap: live cron alongside Sentinel-2/Sentinel-1.
Vessel activity in project area
Spire Maritime · global AISUnique vessels (24h)
101
Boundary intrusions (7d)
2
Flag diversity
4
Top vessel types
- Pleasure craft43
- Research27
- Passenger20
Sample MMSI traffic
346205796 · Tanker · CY
212506749 · Pleasure craft · LR
455052591 · Tanker · NL
785017913 · Tug · MH
Sample data shown. Live Spire Maritime AIS subscription required for production traffic monitoring; the backend endpoint is integrated and waiting on subscription activation.
High-resolution commercial snapshot
Planet Labs · PSSceneCapture date
2026-05-14
Resolution
3 m
Cloud cover
9.0%
Area covered
430 km²
Scene ID
20260514_1611_69_9476
Planet PlanetScope 3 m daily / SkySat 0.5 m on-demand. Used to validate Sentinel-derived signals at sub-Sentinel resolution. Backend integrated; live activation pending Orders API entitlement.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) sample
NatureMetrics · MCC-EDNA-013-5165Collection date
2026-04-12
Species detected
63
IUCN red list (CR/EN/VU)
5
Top detections by read count
- Macrocystis pyrifera · Giant kelp169 reads
- Chelonia mydas · Green sea turtleEN2,291 reads
- Rhizophora mangle · Red mangrove390 reads
- Epinephelus marginatus · Dusky grouperVU943 reads
- Posidonia oceanica · Mediterranean seagrass1,066 reads
Sample composition shown. Live NatureMetrics workflow ships sampling kits to field teams; lab returns metabarcoded species assignments against WoRMS / GBIF references. Replaces with real lab output on first sampling cohort.
Created: 4/30/2026
Last Updated: 4/30/2026